https://www.scmp.com/rss/519606/feed The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the 17th Summer Paralympics, will be held in the French capital from August 28 to September 8, 2024. Hong Kong is sending a delegation of 23 athletes to take part. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sweden’s Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis was named World Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday, while Chinese Paralympic swimmer Jiang Yuyan took home the Sportsperson with a Disability Award. Duplantis has broken the pole vault world record no fewer than 11 times, as well as winning gold at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games and taking two World titles. The Swede beat off the challenge of cyclist Tadej Pogacar and tennis star Carlos Alcaraz to win the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3307383/china-paralympic-swimmer-jiang-takes-home-sports-oscar-duplantis-biles-top-pile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3307383/china-paralympic-swimmer-jiang-takes-home-sports-oscar-duplantis-biles-top-pile?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2025 02:40:54 +0000 I was born in 1993 with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that means your muscles get progressively weaker. My sister, who is four years younger than me, and I grew up in Siu Sai Wan, in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island. My parents didn’t know how to take care of me at first. When I was young, I could walk with some assistance. By the time I was in primary school, I was using a manual wheelchair and later I switched to an electric one. Why me? I did all my schooling at the John F. Kennedy... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3297589/boccia-champion-ho-yuen-kei-her-journey-paralympics-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3297589/boccia-champion-ho-yuen-kei-her-journey-paralympics-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 22:15:07 +0000 Let us be honest and admit that the Paralympics Games Paris 2024, which concluded on September 8, held far less interest for most than the preceding Summer Olympics. Despite dutiful reporting by news media, the level of enthusiasm shown by the viewers and followers of sporting events towards the Paralympics just was not the same as that generated by the more glamorous Olympics. Surely, athletes who must work even harder to compete are more deserving of our cheers and support? Well, apparently... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3279267/paralympians-deserve-more-support-and-appreciation-ancient-china-offers-lessons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3279267/paralympians-deserve-more-support-and-appreciation-ancient-china-offers-lessons?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Sep 2024 00:15:07 +0000 The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games exceeded the high expectations set by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. More than 4,000 athletes competed in 549 medal events across 22 sports. The Games showcased the remarkable talents of athletes with disabilities set against a backdrop of iconic Parisian landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Château de Versailles and the Grand Palais. The Paralympic Games are immensely important as a global celebration of ability, resilience and inclusion. Established to provide... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3278974/paris-games-and-philanthropy-show-power-human-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3278974/paris-games-and-philanthropy-show-power-human-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s Paralympians were honoured at a welcome home ceremony on Monday, and spoke of their pride at representing the city at the Paris Games. Members of the city’s 23-strong delegation were presented with certificates of commendation from Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu during an event at Ma On Shan Sports Centre, Sha Tin, before heading for lunch at Government House. At this year’s Games, Hong Kong’s Paralympians won three gold, four silver and one bronze medal, as well as making it to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3278726/hong-kongs-paralympians-honoured-welcome-home-ceremony-talk-paris-pride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3278726/hong-kongs-paralympians-honoured-welcome-home-ceremony-talk-paris-pride?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:30:08 +0000 Christile Drulhe Christile Drulhe As fireworks went off and breakdancers were spinning on the stage of the Stade de France, Paris 2024 concluded last Sunday after seven weeks filled with marvel witnessed by the world. However, their legacy will live on. The Olympic Games opening ceremony on July 26 reinvented the genre. For the first time, it was organised outside a stadium, enabling the creation of iconic moments. We will never forget the knight on a robotic horse crossing the Seine River, the flying torch-bearer with reference... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3278248/legacy-paris-games-will-live-far-beyond-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3278248/legacy-paris-games-will-live-far-beyond-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Parisian business owners and hotel managers were promised a summer like no other: millions of tourists would flood the French capital for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, generating huge profits for Paris and its region. With the Games officially over, the time has come to run the numbers. And many in the Paris service industry say they had one of their worst summers ever – notably because of security restrictions around city-centre Olympic venues. Tom Denaive, who runs a family jewellery store... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277976/olympics-paralympics-were-success-paris-calamity-some-its-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277976/olympics-paralympics-were-success-paris-calamity-some-its-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:30:25 +0000 As a breakout star at the Paris Paralympics, Ezra Frech was thrilled about winning gold medals in the 100 metres and high jump, but the Los Angeles teenager was also hoping for a bigger sort of victory. Large crowds and record television coverage have him feeling good about the past two weeks in France. It has him thinking about 2028 when the Games come to his hometown. Hosting a Games in Tinseltown has will be “special opportunity for Paralympic sport”, according to the 19-year-old, who hopes... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3277814/can-hollywood-magic-help-transform-paralympics-must-see-tv-2028?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3277814/can-hollywood-magic-help-transform-paralympics-must-see-tv-2028?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:30:08 +0000 Despite China winning almost 100 gold medals at the Paris Paralympics, enthusiasm back home remains low. The Olympics were watched widely, with victorious Team China athletes lauded as national heroes, and a nail-biting medal table rivalry with the United States followed closely. But this week, under a news post announcing China now have more gold medals than the United States and Great Britain combined, many users on social media platform Weibo complained that too few people cared. “Not enough... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277715/china-dominate-paralympics-more-golds-us-gb-combined-enthusiasm-home-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277715/china-dominate-paralympics-more-golds-us-gb-combined-enthusiasm-home-low?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 03:08:28 +0000 The curtain came down on the Paris Paralympics on Sunday, bringing an end to an impressive two weeks for Hong Kong’s delegation and a dominant summer of sport for China’s athletes. Eight medals was the best return for the city since the 2012 London Games, and the three gold the most in a decade. Success spanned the generations too, with 14-year-old Jasmine Ng Cheuk-yan becoming Hong Kong’s youngest Paralympian and then medal winner, after her bronze in the women’s SB6 100m breaststroke. At the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3277704/paris-paralympics-hong-kong-leader-lee-hails-citys-warriors-life-china-still-dominant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3277704/paris-paralympics-hong-kong-leader-lee-hails-citys-warriors-life-china-still-dominant?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:30:21 +0000 Better marketing for the Asian Games and getting more sponsors on board will be high on the agenda when Randhir Singh takes over as president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Sunday, the veteran administrator told Reuters. The Indian, 77, has been the OCA acting president since 2021, filling in for Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who was handed a 15-year ban from sports administration in May this year over ethics breaches. A five-time Olympic shooter, Singh is the lone eligible... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277642/asian-games-more-sponsors-better-marketing-among-oca-chief-singhs-top-priorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277642/asian-games-more-sponsors-better-marketing-among-oca-chief-singhs-top-priorities?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2024 02:22:31 +0000 Hong Kong duo Ho Yuen-kei and Tse Tak-wah “kept believing” as they clinched gold medals in the Boccia mixed pairs BC3 event at the Paralympic Games. The pair overcame South Korea 5-3 in the gold medal match on Thursday. And tapping into the “Hong Kong spirit” displayed by Vivian Kong and Cheung Ka-long at the Paris Olympics last month, the two battled their way to victory. “During ups and downs in a game, you often lose stability and clarity,” Ho said. “The biggest strength of ours today was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277413/paralympics-ho-tse-kept-believing-winning-hong-kongs-latest-gold-medal-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3277413/paralympics-ho-tse-kept-believing-winning-hong-kongs-latest-gold-medal-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Sep 2024 02:59:06 +0000 Two Hong Kong duos marched into Paralympics boccia finals overnight, raising the prospect of the city doubling its gold medal haul in Paris. The BC3 mixed pairs team of Tse Tak-wah and Ho Yuen-kei beat Thailand 3-2 to book a final clash with South Koreans Jeong Ho-won and Kang Sun-hee. In the BC4 category, Annie Cheung – the silver medallist in the women’s individual competition – and partner Leung Yuk-wing will battle the Colombian brother and sister combination of Edilson and Leidy Chica for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3277295/hong-kong-pairs-gun-paralympics-golds-china-virtually-unassailable-medal-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3277295/hong-kong-pairs-gun-paralympics-golds-china-virtually-unassailable-medal-table?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2024 06:48:42 +0000 Wednesday was not a good day for Chinese tennis. It started with Zheng Qinwen being unceremoniously dumped out of the US Open, and ended with Wang Ziying being similarly well beaten in the semi-finals of the women’s wheelchair tennis in Paris. But the march to Paralympic domination continues nonetheless, and the country’s return on its sporting investment added more gold to the medal tally overnight. In other news, Lionel Messi is no longer going to be the world’s best footballer, Jack Draper... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3277242/chinas-golden-dividend-draper-messi-out-what-happened-overnight-world-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3277242/chinas-golden-dividend-draper-messi-out-what-happened-overnight-world-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 23:30:15 +0000 Wang Ziying has described how wheelchair tennis changed her life after becoming the first Chinese player to reach a Paralympic semi-final. The world No 5 was the only remaining women’s singles podium hopeful for China after toppling Angelica Bernal of Colombia 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros on Tuesday. Four Chinese players had reached the last eight – a first – but Zhu Zhenzhen lost her match to Japan’s Kamiji Yui 6-1, 6-2, while China’s other two contenders, Li Xiaohui and Guo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3277153/paris-paralympics-wang-ziying-chinas-first-wheelchair-tennis-semi-finalist-eyes-medal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3277153/paris-paralympics-wang-ziying-chinas-first-wheelchair-tennis-semi-finalist-eyes-medal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 07:29:11 +0000 A Russian Olympic athlete being banned for taking drugs is not necessarily news, nor is the fact that China are utterly dominating the medal table at the Paralympics, but at least the latter takes the nasty taste away. And before Zheng Qinwen began her bid to reach the semi-finals of the US Open, China’s tennis players made some history in the French capital. That, plus a managerial change in English football, is just some of what’s been happening, while you were sleeping. There can be only... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3277093/badosas-us-open-disaster-china-swimmers-dominate-what-happened-overnight-world-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3277093/badosas-us-open-disaster-china-swimmers-dominate-what-happened-overnight-world-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 23:30:13 +0000 Hong Kong is, once again, celebrating winning medals in Paris. This time, it is the disabled athletes who have made the city proud. Six medals, including two golds, have been won at the Paralympics. It is an outstanding achievement. The two gold medals were won in boccia, similar to bowls, a sport that first featured in the Paralympics 40 years ago. Ho Yuen-kai took the women’s individual BC3 title and John Loung prevailed in the BC1 contest. Both have demonstrated the Paralympic spirit of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3277070/ramp-support-our-paralympians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3277070/ramp-support-our-paralympians?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:45:07 +0000 Four Chinese wheelchair tennis players have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Paris Paralympics – a historic first for the country. All four players won their second-round matches in straight sets, comfortably advancing to the final eight in the French capital. In fact, the quartet were all part of the squad that topped the Netherlands to lift the BNP Paribas World Team trophy in May. Zhu Zhenzhen led the charge on Monday with a 6-0, 6-4 rout of Chile’s Macarena Cabrillana, and said she... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3277027/paris-paralympics-2024-china-make-history-4-quarter-finalists-wheelchair-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3277027/paris-paralympics-2024-china-make-history-4-quarter-finalists-wheelchair-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:30:11 +0000 An emotional Chan Ho-yuen said he had started to miss wheelchair badminton even as he was fighting for gold at the Paris Paralympics on Monday. Before the Games began, the 39-year-old said that, with injuries finally catching up with him, these Games would be his last tournament. But he had vowed to “change the colour” of his medal after picking up bronze in Tokyo three years ago. And while he had an eye on bowing out with gold around his neck, Chan was well beaten by top seed Daiki Kajiwara of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276997/paris-paralympics-2024-chan-ho-yuen-misses-wheelchair-badminton-even-he-wins-final-medal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276997/paris-paralympics-2024-chan-ho-yuen-misses-wheelchair-badminton-even-he-wins-final-medal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:30:07 +0000 Ho Yuen-kei said winning boccia gold at the Paris Paralympics on Monday alongside husband, Lee Wing-kit, had been a “dream come true”. The Hongkonger grabbed her city’s second gold of the Games on Monday in the women’s individual BC3 final, hours after teammate John Loung had triumphed in the men’s individual BC1 event. Paris is Ho’s third Paralympics, and she said victory meant so much more because she had “finally done it”. “I’m so grateful and honoured to have [won] this medal for Hong Kong,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276931/paris-paralympics-boccia-gold-dream-come-true-husband-and-wife-hong-kong-duo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276931/paris-paralympics-boccia-gold-dream-come-true-husband-and-wife-hong-kong-duo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s Olympians came home with two gold medals from Paris and the Paralympic delegation have matched that achievement, with the potential of more to follow. For Vivian Kong Man-wai and Cheung Ka-long in fencing, read Ho Yuen-kei and John Loung in boccia. Meanwhile, badminton star Chan Ho-yuen bowed out with a silver, retiring on a high note. Which is a lesson Cristiano Ronaldo could learn. From another golden night in Paris to raging against the dying of the light in Lisbon, here’s what... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276928/more-gold-silver-hong-kong-china-tennis-history-what-happened-overnight-world-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276928/more-gold-silver-hong-kong-china-tennis-history-what-happened-overnight-world-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 23:30:33 +0000 Boccia athlete John Loung claimed Hong Kong’s first gold of the Paralympics on Monday and said the medal, which came 20 years after his first Games, held “a lot of meaning”. On a day when the city’s athletes burst into life in Paris, teammate Cheung Yeun added a second silver to the tally, while compatriots Ho Yuen-kei and Chan Yui-lam both had shots at gold overnight in their boccia and swimming events, respectively. Loung beat South Korea’s Jung Sung-joon 4-1 in the men’s individual BC1 final,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276903/paris-paralympics-boccia-athlete-loung-wins-hong-kongs-first-gold-games-bronze-ng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276903/paris-paralympics-boccia-athlete-loung-wins-hong-kongs-first-gold-games-bronze-ng?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 11:38:38 +0000 Hong Kong swimmer Jasmine Ng Cheuk-yan has clinched her first bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke at the Paris Paralympic Games. Ng became the city’s youngest Paralympic medallist at the age of 14. With two swimming medals now in the bag, Hong Kong is expecting more golds in boccia and badminton. https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276881/hong-kongs-youngest-paralympic-medallist-jasmine-ng-clinches-swimming-bronze-age-14?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276881/hong-kongs-youngest-paralympic-medallist-jasmine-ng-clinches-swimming-bronze-age-14?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:03:35 +0000 Jetze Plat won the first event of the triathlon at the Paris Paralympics, which finally got under way on Monday after being postponed because of water quality concerns regarding the Seine. The 33-year-old Dutchman finished in a time of 58 minutes, 16 seconds to claim his third Paralympic title in a row after victory at Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The podium of the men’s PTWC race – the triathlon event for wheelchair users – was completed by Austria’s Florian Brungraber in silver medal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3276854/paralympics-netherlands-jetze-plat-claims-third-consecutive-triathlon-gold-despite-delay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3276854/paralympics-netherlands-jetze-plat-claims-third-consecutive-triathlon-gold-despite-delay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:24:18 +0000 Para triathlon events at the Paris Games, where the swimming leg is being held in the River Seine, have been postponed by a day to September 2 due to a drop in the river’s water quality following rains, the organisers said on Sunday. The men’s triathlon at the Paris Olympics was postponed and several training sessions were reshuffled as adverse weather led to a spike in bacteria levels in the Seine. “The latest tests show a decrease in water quality in the river following the rain episodes over... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3276737/paris-olympics-triathlon-paralympic-games-postponed-over-river-seine-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3276737/paris-olympics-triathlon-paralympic-games-postponed-over-river-seine-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Sep 2024 04:18:31 +0000 Lisa Lim Lisa Lim The Paris Olympics may be over, but the 2024 Paralympics is now in full swing. Held shortly after the corresponding Olympic Games in the same year, the Paralympic Games are a quadrennial global multisport competition involving athletes with disabilities. The origins lie in a sports competition organised by Dr Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in the UK, almost eight decades ago, for second world war soldiers with lower spinal cord injuries affecting their lower limbs. The word for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3276343/where-did-term-paralympics-come-examining-its-origin-and-evolution-meaning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3276343/where-did-term-paralympics-come-examining-its-origin-and-evolution-meaning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:15:08 +0000 In theory, the weekend means those of you with light-blue blood running through your veins may well have stayed up to watch Erling Haaland give another set of defenders nightmares. Or, you could have taken in some tennis, Formula One, rugby, the Paralympics, and Joe Root’s record-setting 34th Test match hundred at Lord’s. But for those of you that do value your shut-eye, here’s what happened while you were sleeping. The edited highlights China’s Paralympians are winning so many gold medals that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276721/china-athletes-dominate-paris-paralympics-and-can-anyone-stop-erling-haaland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276721/china-athletes-dominate-paris-paralympics-and-can-anyone-stop-erling-haaland?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Aug 2024 23:30:14 +0000 Careers potentially hanging on last-minute decisions, millions at stake on the outcome of one sporting moment, pressure building like never before – yes, the Paris Paralympics is still going on, but the football transfer window has just closed too. Whether you live and breathe depending on how your club splashes its cash, or think disabled athletes performing extraordinary feats against the odds is more inspiring, there was something for everyone happening overnight. Here’s what went on while... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276666/epl-clubs-splash-cash-transfer-window-closes-china-athletes-grab-gold-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276666/epl-clubs-splash-cash-transfer-window-closes-china-athletes-grab-gold-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 23:30:07 +0000 Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for television bosses to significantly ramp up coverage of the “wonderful” Paralympic Games. Klopp was in Paris to watch close friend Wojtek Czyz in para-badminton action, as the 17th summer edition began on Thursday. Czyz, 44, began playing badminton only three years ago, after winning four Paralympic golds across the 2004 and 2008 Games as a sprinter and long jumper. An ex-footballer, he suffered an injury in 2001 that led to the amputation of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276638/jurgen-klopp-has-message-tv-execs-paralympics-and-makes-taylor-swift-comparison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276638/jurgen-klopp-has-message-tv-execs-paralympics-and-makes-taylor-swift-comparison?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:00:10 +0000 China’s Jiang Yuyan said she had to overcome a bout of stage fright to retain her 50 metres freestyle S6 crown and claim her country’s first swimming gold at the Paris Paralympics. Jiang revealed she was “more nervous” in the French capital than when she took gold at the last Games in Tokyo, but she managed to find some composure in time to win in 32.59 seconds on Thursday (local time). “When you’ve trained to a certain level and you know you’re capable of being among the world’s best, it makes... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3276597/paris-paralympics-jiang-yuyan-beats-greatest-pressure-chinas-first-swimming-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3276597/paris-paralympics-jiang-yuyan-beats-greatest-pressure-chinas-first-swimming-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 09:34:07 +0000 Afghan Zakia Khudadadi completed a remarkable journey to become the first athlete from the refugee team to win a medal at the Paralympics when she clinched a taekwondo bronze on Thursday. Khudadadi, who made her Paralympics debut in Tokyo days after being exfiltrated from Taliban-controlled Kabul, secured her place on the podium when her opponent withdrew before their bronze medal bout in the K44-47kg category. “It was a surreal moment, my heart started racing when I realised I had won the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276541/paris-paralympics-zakia-khudadadi-dedicates-first-refugee-medal-women-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276541/paris-paralympics-zakia-khudadadi-dedicates-first-refugee-medal-women-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 07:00:15 +0000 Users on Chinese social media praised “amazing” Li Zhangyu and labelled China’s Paralympic gold medallists the “best of the best”. On day one, Chinese athletes won four gold medals and set three world records to lay down a marker at the Paris Games. Cyclist Li, competing at his fourth Paralympic Games, won his fifth gold and seventh medal overall with victory in the men’s C1 3,000 metres individual pursuit, having set a world record in qualifying. Wang Xiaomei then did likewise in the women’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3276528/chinas-paralympic-gold-medallists-lauded-amazing-best-best-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3276528/chinas-paralympic-gold-medallists-lauded-amazing-best-best-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 06:00:15 +0000 Cyclist Li Zhangyu said winning gold in the men’s C1 3,000 metres individual pursuit made up for his “regret” at only claiming silver in Tokyo three years ago. His was the first of four golds for China on day one of the Games as they laid down a marker, while he also set a world record in his qualifier. The 36-year-old had taken a silver in this event at London 2012, a gold at Rio 2016 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020. Li beat compatriot Liang Weicong to first place with a time of three minutes,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3276509/paris-paralympics-chinas-li-zhangyu-says-gold-medal-makes-tokyo-silver-regret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3276509/paris-paralympics-chinas-li-zhangyu-says-gold-medal-makes-tokyo-silver-regret?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 05:17:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s athletes got off to a positive start on day one of the Paris Paralympics, led by a silver medal for swimmer Chan Yui-lam. Chan came second in the women’s 100 metres butterfly S14 behind Great Britain’s Poppy Maskill, getting on the podium after narrowly missing out at the last Paralympics in Tokyo three years ago. “Tokyo was probably my most disappointing race,” the 20-year-old said. “So when I saw the same red starting blocks [as at] the Tokyo Paralympics, I told myself I was going... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276500/hong-kongs-paralympics-silver-and-positive-start-badminton-kick-day-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276500/hong-kongs-paralympics-silver-and-positive-start-badminton-kick-day-one?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 03:30:18 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised Chan Yui-lam’s display of “extraordinary capabilities” after she won a silver medal in the women’s 100 metres butterfly S14 at the Paris Paralympic Games. Chan finished second to Great Britain’s Poppy Maskill, who set a world-record time of one minute, three seconds to win gold. In third place at halfway, Chan then outswam Valeriia Shabalina of Russia – competing as a neutral athlete – to touch the wall in 1:03.70, slicing 0.3 seconds off her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276490/paralympics-hong-kongs-john-lee-praises-extraordinary-chan-yui-lam-after-silver-medal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276490/paralympics-hong-kongs-john-lee-praises-extraordinary-chan-yui-lam-after-silver-medal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:27:22 +0000 If you’re experiencing a certain sense of déjà vu, you’re not the only one. I’m pretty sure we’ve all been here before – China’s swimmers winning gold, a Hong Kong athlete also starring in the pool, and the US dominating the men’s basketball. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, see the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Throw the US Open, some Test cricket, and the start of the football season into the mix and you have a recipe for a busy time on the global sporting calendar. That’s without American football,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276482/paris-paralympics-china-gold-hong-kong-silver-jackie-chan-and-host-world-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276482/paris-paralympics-china-gold-hong-kong-silver-jackie-chan-and-host-world-records?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2024 23:30:09 +0000 Competition gets under way at the Paralympic Games in Paris on Thursday, with athletes getting their first medals in four of the 22 scheduled sports. The first Paralympian medallists will be the track cyclists at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome. There is a packed day of swimming at Paris’ La Défense Arena, with a raft of heats in the morning and 15 gold medals on offer throughout the evening – starting with men’s 400 metres freestyle and concluding with the women’s 200m freestyle. Table... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276336/paris-paralympics-day-1-cyclists-swimmers-taekwondo-fighters-go-gold-games-begin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276336/paris-paralympics-day-1-cyclists-swimmers-taekwondo-fighters-go-gold-games-begin?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:30:09 +0000 The Paris Games will represent a turning point for the Paralympic movement, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons said on the eve of the opening ceremony. More than 1.75 million tickets had been sold by Friday ahead of Wednesday’s start of the Paralympics, which will run until September 8. “The Paralympic movement has become more relevant than ever,” Parsons said on Tuesday. “But it’s also because of the ambition of the Paris 2024 organising committee. In many... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276209/paris-games-will-be-turning-point-paralympics-says-ipc-president-eve-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3276209/paris-games-will-be-turning-point-paralympics-says-ipc-president-eve-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:00:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s Paris Paralympics delegation chief said he was optimistic about the future of para-sports but suggest delving into new sports could be the quickest way to improve on city’s track record. John Leung Lai-yin, who is chairman of the Sports Association for the Physically Disabled of Hong Kong, China (HKSAPD), is leading a team of 23 athletes across eight sports to the Paris Paralympics, which runs from Wednesday to September 8. Three years ago in Tokyo, Hong Kong took home two silvers... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276095/paris-paralympics-trying-new-sports-may-be-best-way-improve-hong-kongs-future-haul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3276095/paris-paralympics-trying-new-sports-may-be-best-way-improve-hong-kongs-future-haul?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2024 09:15:14 +0000 The message is clear: Paralympians are not just taking part – they are competing. A number of athletes preparing for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have proclaimed that on their social feeds over the past few days, reminding the world that Olympians are not the only athletes coming to Paris looking for gold. And with the opening ceremony on Wednesday, athletes and the Games’ own social and creative teams have been taking a more aggressive approach to their messaging, leaning into disabilities... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275858/paris-paralympics-athletes-social-media-accounts-bypass-traditional-edgy-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275858/paris-paralympics-athletes-social-media-accounts-bypass-traditional-edgy-take?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 03:00:11 +0000 Two Hong Kong athletes competing in the Paris Paralympics have vowed to change the colour of the medals they won three years ago in Tokyo. Wheelchair badminton star Daniel Chan Ho-yuen, one of the flag bearers for Wednesday’s opening ceremony, won bronze in the men’s singles competition three years ago. And he has promised to go out with a bang at his swan song Games. “I’m quite confident. I’m now ranked second in the world, so I will be the No 2 seed going into the Paris Paralympics,” Chan... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275828/paris-paralympics-badminton-boccia-athletes-targeting-more-golden-glory-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275828/paris-paralympics-badminton-boccia-athletes-targeting-more-golden-glory-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 02:00:24 +0000 Hong Kong-born martial arts actor Jackie Chan was named on Sunday as one of the torch-bearers in the lead-up to the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Paris. The 70-year-old, known for his stunts and acrobatic fight scenes, will carry the flame on Wednesday afternoon in the French capital just hours before the opening ceremony, the organising committee announced. French actress Elsa Zylberstein and dancer/choreographer Benjamin Millepied will also take part in the torch relay. As with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275848/jackie-chan-carry-torch-ahead-paralympics-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275848/jackie-chan-carry-torch-ahead-paralympics-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 18:53:53 +0000 Lucy Shuker, bidding for a fourth Paralympics wheelchair tennis medal, said the sport had transformed life after she “lost her sparkle” following a motorbike crash that left her paralysed from the chest down. Just 21 when she suffered the life-changing injury, the now 44-year-old, has become one of the finest doubles players in the world. Bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Games, and a silver in Tokyo contributed to her being honoured by King Charles last year, which she described as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3275808/paris-paralympics-shuker-indebted-wheelchair-tennis-giving-her-some-joy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3275808/paris-paralympics-shuker-indebted-wheelchair-tennis-giving-her-some-joy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 05:52:19 +0000 Women’s table tennis player Wong Ting-ting and men’s badminton player Daniel Chan Ho-yuen have been named as Hong Kong’s flag bearers for the opening ceremony at the Paris Paralympics. Dr John Leung Lai-yin, chef de mission for the city’s delegation for the Games, made the announcement at Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday evening, about four hours before the athletes boarded their flight to Paris. Chan, who won bronze in Tokyo three years ago, said it was an honour to be chosen to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3275781/paris-paralympics-hong-kong-pair-honoured-carry-citys-flag-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3275781/paris-paralympics-hong-kong-pair-honoured-carry-citys-flag-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 13:39:17 +0000 Parisians are the main buyers of tickets for the Paralympic Games, organisers said, rushing to grab a second opportunity to see competitions in some of the Games’ spectacular venues, after many chose to snub the Olympics or missed out on tickets. In July, Parisians had left the city in droves ahead of the Olympics, with entire neighbourhoods turned eerily quiet as residents decamped as they feared the disturbance and traffic problems many thought the Games would bring. But the Games turned out... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275705/paralympics-tickets-prove-popular-parisians-who-snubbed-or-missed-out-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3275705/paralympics-tickets-prove-popular-parisians-who-snubbed-or-missed-out-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2024 13:00:25 +0000 Athletes on the Refugee Paralympic Team are looking to send a message of hope as they strive for the podium at the 2024 Paralympic Games, which begin in Paris next week. Eight Paralympians and one runner guide who fled conflict and persecution in their homelands are hoping to earn medals in six sports: para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, para-taekwondo, para-triathlon and wheelchair fencing. Among them is Ibrahim Al Hussein, a Syrian athlete who will be competing in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3275569/paris-paralympics-refugee-athletes-deliver-message-perseverance-they-seek-medals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3275569/paris-paralympics-refugee-athletes-deliver-message-perseverance-they-seek-medals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2024 04:30:16 +0000 Some created singular unforgettable moments, most have won multiple medals across a series of Games, all have been pioneers. Here are 10 of the finest summer Paralympians. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson Arguably Britain’s most famous Paralympian. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who has spina bifida, was a wheelchair racer and competed in five Games between 1988 and 2004. She claimed 11 gold medals, plus four silvers and a bronze, and was created a Life Peer in 2010. Oscar Pistorius Regarded as a true... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3275484/paris-paralympics-2024-taking-closer-look-10-greatest-summer-paralympians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3275484/paris-paralympics-2024-taking-closer-look-10-greatest-summer-paralympians?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:30:19 +0000 Classification forms the cornerstone of the Paralympic movement and challenges the threat of one-sided and predictable competition, where the least-impaired athlete always wins. It determines which athletes are eligible to participate in a sport and how they are grouped together. Each of the 22 Paralympic sports on show at Paris 2024 has specific classification criteria that are developed by the respective international federations. Any athlete wishing to take part in Para sport competition must... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3275480/paris-paralympics-2024-classification-explained-who-are-eligible-how-they-are-grouped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3275480/paris-paralympics-2024-classification-explained-who-are-eligible-how-they-are-grouped?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:30:11 +0000 Five Indonesian archers who have lost an arm or a leg train together under the bright Central Javan sun, drawing their bows and closing one eye to shoot at targets as they prepare for the Paralympics in Paris this month. The “magnificent five” are the first archers to qualify for the Paralympics from Southeast Asia’s biggest country, and they are now training their sights on medals. “It is history. Simply amazing,” Ken Swagumilang, who had his leg amputated because of bone cancer and qualified... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3275479/paris-paralympics-2024-indonesias-first-5-paralympic-games-archers-take-aim-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3275479/paris-paralympics-2024-indonesias-first-5-paralympic-games-archers-take-aim-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 09:30:08 +0000 A senior Chinese sports official has called for management of food, drugs and nutritional supplements to be strengthened to prevent accidental doping, and for continuous anti-doping efforts by the country at the Paris Paralympics. Liu Guoyong, a deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, warned that there should be no “slip-ups”. The comments follow intense scrutiny of the country’s athletes at the Paris Olympics. It was revealed this year that 23 swimmers had been cleared... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3275302/china-urges-no-doping-slip-ups-paralympics-after-focus-swimmers-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3275302/china-urges-no-doping-slip-ups-paralympics-after-focus-swimmers-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:01:05 +0000